


Protector

by dwarrowdams



Series: Tolkientober [19]
Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Post-Battle of Five Armies, Tolkientober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27252976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowdams/pseuds/dwarrowdams
Summary: How Beorn came to be chieftain of the Beornings.  Written for Day 28 of Tolkientober (a guardian).
Series: Tolkientober [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949476
Kudos: 3





	Protector

**Author's Note:**

> The cool thing about the Beornings is that they're essentially just Northmen (or other folks, perhaps?) who pledged loyalty to Beorn. He didn't seem to me like the sort who'd want to be a leader, so this fic explains a little bit about why he allowed the Beornings to become a thing and how/why people started coming and pledging fealty to him.

He had never asked to be the protector of anyone but himself, but it seemed that the Battle of Five Armies changed that.

They did not come all at once: it started with a few of the Northmen coming to him on bended knee, offering their blades to his service. His first thought had been to turn them away, for he did not wish for Men to do violence in his name, but further inquiry revealed that they sought membership to a community rather than a reason to do violence.

After a time, more began to come: not only warriors, but those with families as well. A woman had approached him the other day—Swithun was her name, if memory served—treating him with the reverence reserved for kings as she asked humbly if he would accept her and her four children. She had been ready to make her case as though she stood before a court of law and had seemed surprised when he nodded, telling her to come with her children tomorrow to induct them formally.

Beorn was a solitary man, but he was not cruel, and if this woman and her family wished to become his people and follow his lead, he would not send them away.

It might not be what he had wanted, but if there were those willing to protect these lands and follow his ways, he would not turn them away. In fact, those who now sought him out seemed eager to learn his ways and to care for the earth and its creatures. That thought brought him peace. He might not lead like the kings and lords who dwelt to the east, but perhaps he could build a community of those who sought to learn from the wisdom of nature rather than tearing it away to craft cities and roads and machines.

And that, he thought, was no bad thing.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoping to write more fic (and perhaps meta?) on the Beornings, since there's very little on them in canon and fanon. They seem to be based in early medieval English culture and I'm kinda-sorta drawing on Celtic Pagan/Druid ideas with regards to their philosophy (which I haven't written much about, but that seems to fit with them in terms of the respect for nature thing).
> 
> (Also, Swithun is my character Eadgyd's mom. I couldn't resist throwing in a little nod to her.)
> 
> Please comment if you enjoyed!
> 
> Tumblr: dwarrowdams  
> Twitter: @_tenderqueer


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